The noun CONTINENTAL DIVIDE has 1 sense: 1. the watershed of a continent (especially the watershed of North America formed by a series of mountain ridges extending from Alaska to Mexico). Familiarity information: CONTINENTAL DIVIDE used as a noun is very rare.Dictionary entry details.eronyms (parts of continental divide): Great Divide (that part of the continental divide formed by the Rocky Mountains in the United States). Domain region: North America (a continent (the third largest) in the western hemisphere connected to South America by the Isthmus of Panama).
Definition of lighthouse. 1  1 : a structure (such as a tower) with a powerful light that gives a continuous or intermittent signal to navigators. 2  2 : beacon 3.
Located on rocky coasts, towering cliffs, and on islands, lighthouses serve as beacons, guiding ships safely into harbor at night or during a storm. Coastal lighthouses were first constructed in the 17th century to warn mariners of dangerous rocks, reefs, and currents, according to the Lighthouse Preservation Society. By 1900, nearly 1,000 lighthouses had been built in the US; and today, there are nearly 50,000 lighthouses in existence.